


What’s in the box, Caleb?

by mrs_captain_rogers



Series: Mercer's Boarding House [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: ALL THE FLUFF, Christmas, Christmas Cookies, Domestic Fluff, Gen, Mercer’s boarding house, Trans Male Character, Winter’s Crest, holiday baking, holiday fluff, linzer cookies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:07:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22099171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrs_captain_rogers/pseuds/mrs_captain_rogers
Summary: Caleb arrives home to find some of his house makes bickering over Winter Crest cookies. So he settled the argument with a recipe of his own.
Relationships: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast
Series: Mercer's Boarding House [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1600588
Comments: 6
Kudos: 77





	What’s in the box, Caleb?

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another short one from my failed 12 days of winter crest haha. Hope y’all enjoy it.

The front door of Mercer’s Boarding house slammed shut, yanked free from Caleb’s hand by the howling winter wind, as he scrambled inside. The wizard muttered to himself, a reminder to put down more ice melt potion on the front walk and stoop. He’d nearly slipped and fallen walking up. The aroma of something baking wafted in from the large kitchen, drawing Caleb with it. As he followed his nose he noticed the bickering voices of Nott, Jester, and Beau. Upon further eavesdropping, he realized they were arguing about a recipe.

“That’s odd, Beau doesn’t cook,” he mumbled to himself as he shrugged off his coat and scarf. 

“Oh! Caleb, you’re home,” Nott cried happily when he was spotted from the hall coat rack. 

“Ja just got in. What is going on here?” Once again he followed his nose, Caleb wandered into the large, white tile kitchen, to discover Nott, Jester, and rather than Beau, Kiri. That makes so much more sense. 

“We’re making cookies but Nott wants to make gross ones and Kiri and I want to make tasty ones, with cinnamon.” 

“Oatmeal raisin cookies are not gross!” Nott was practically shouting at the blue tiefling. 

“Yes, they are. Who wants wrinkly little raisins in their cookies?” 

The shouting match continued, Kiri occasionally throwing in her two cents in a plethora of voices. Caleb stepped between the two women and threw up his hands demanding quiet. 

“Both of you, shut up! Nott, please start gathering ingredients. Jester, please tidy up the kitchen some, it’s a mess in here. Kiri dear, will you please find me an apron?” 

“Ja,” she replied in his own voice. The other two nodded and got to work on his requests, both knowing it was serious when Caleb took charge. The ginger turned, heading for the stairs. 

“Caleb, where are you going? I thought we were making cookies,” Jester called after him. 

“I’m just going to change and get out of this binder, I’ll be back in a few.” After a few minutes upstairs he turned in sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt with a small box in his hands. “Now let's make some real cookies.” All three ladies watched as he moved quickly through the kitchen gathering and combining ingredients in the mixer until a soft dough formed. With deft hands, he quickly wrapped the dough in cling film. “Kiri, will you put this in the fridge please?” 

The young kenku accepted the bundle and hurried over to the fridge. “Cookies?” she said in Jester’s voice, her head tilting one way then the other inquisitively. 

“We’re making Linzer cookies like I used to make as a child with meine Mutter. Jester, will you put the raspberries and sugar in a pot on the stove?” She smiled brightly and quickly got to it, the small bells on her horns jingling quietly 

“You made these with your mother?” Nott whispered. “In all the times you’ve made these, you never mentioned they were your mother’s recipe.” Caleb smiled at his small friend, sorrow in his eyes. Without a word, he turned to the pot Jester had prepared to attend to the bubbling mixture. 

“Caleb,” Molly’s voice called from behind him. The ginger turned to find Kiri pointing at the box he’d brought down from his room. She cooed softly, head tilting from one side to the other inquisitively. 

“Box?” she asked in Beau’s voice.

“I’ll show you in a moment, dear.” Once Caleb was satisfied with the bubbling mixture, he turned his attention to the slightly battered cardboard box he’d placed on the counter. “I found these at a yard sale even before I met Nott. Back then I didn’t do much cooking, let alone cookie making, but they reminded me so much of my mother. When I was small, also as small as Kiri, I used to assist her in making these cookies, especially around Winter’s Crest.” Beside him Kiri cooed happily listening to the story. The corner of the man’s lips turned up at the small bird’s delight as he scooped her up and set her on the counter. 

Inside the box was a set of dark grey metal rings, some simply rings, others with hearts, stars, and diamonds in the center, all with a scalloped edge. “I was looking for clothes that day but when I saw these they reminded me so much of my childhood, I spent my last silver to have them. The old woman who sold them to me sent me off with a coat and food, saying I reminded her of her son. I had no words when she showed me so much kindness. Every Winter’s Crest, when I am able, I make a special batch of linzer cookies and take them to her and thank her for her generosity.” On his left Jester sniffed as she struggled to brush the tears from her eyes. 

“Caleb, you never told us this, never told me this,” Nott said. He turned looking at his friends, sadness filling his blue eyes, and he smiled softly. 

“I was not in a place to tell this story yet but now I feel able to discuss it with you. You all are my family now so it felt like a good time to show my new family some old traditions.” The wizard turned back to the stove, quickly brushing the tears from his cheeks. “Ok, even sorrow, it is Winter Crest and we have cookies to make. Jester, please get the rolling pin and some confectioners sugar. Nott, will you grab the dough from the fridge?” Both women nodded and got to his requests. 

“I am Kiri,” the kenku called from the counter in Jester’s voice. 

“Kiri, can you very carefully take the cutters out of the box for me?” She nodded solemnly feeling she had been tasked with a very important mission. Her feathered fingers because pulling the various rings from the worn box and carefully arranged them on a red tea towel. Jester set the white marble rolling pin on the counter next to Caleb and Nott slid the dough across the smooth surface to him. “Now let me show you ladies how to make my mother’s raspberry Linzer cookies.” 

For the next hour the four of them rolled, cut, filled, and sandwiched the cookies, rotating tray after tray into the oven. By the time the rest of the house’s occupants had arrived home they had prepared nearly 4 dozen raspberry filled cookies and a heap of other baked goodies. Caleb reached out and swatted Molly’s hand as he reached for a cooling sweet. “Don’t even think about it Herr Tealeaf” he scolded playfully. Molly chuckled and retreated to the living room as the smell of cookies, the sound of laughter, and the love of the Winter’s Crest season filled the boarding house.


End file.
